‘Iranian vessel seized by Kuwait not due to US trade sanctions’

29/12/2018

‘Dispute with Asian company’

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 29: Deputy Chairman of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (IMO) Hadi Haghshenas said that the seizure of an Iranian vessel by Kuwaiti authorities was because of the dispute between a Korean company and a contracting company representing it in Kuwait and not due to trade sanctions imposed by America on Iran, reports Al-Rai daily.

“This vessel belongs to the Iranian company TideWater, which is dedicated to the construction of a sea bridge in Kuwait, and is leased, by a Korean company,” Haghshenas said during a meeting with Tasnim News Agency. He added the TideWater had signed a contract with the Korean company and a Kuwaiti company. The ship was registered in Iran.

He said the Korean contractor has committed a legal offense when he changed the ship’s record from the Iranian company to the Kuwaiti company under the pretext Iran is covered by US sanctions. He added this is considered a violation of the law committed by the Korean contractor and is being looked into by the Iranian authorities.

The issue is limited to the Korean contractor and the Kuwaiti authorities, say sources and has nothing to do with the sanctions.